This disclosure relates to radio frequency (“RF”) ablation system and methods, and more particularly to methods and systems of applying one or more spatially localized radio frequency (“RF”) beams to a target location by placing RF resonant circuits at the target location.
RF ablation is a technique used to treat tumors in human subjects. In RF ablation, a needle attached to an RF source operating at about 350 to 500 kHz is inserted into a tumor. The source is used to heat up the tumor, e.g., around 50 to 60 degrees centigrade, causing destruction of the tumor. This heating is accomplished more from resistive heating rather than absorption of the RF energy by the tissue. The heating may cause damage to surrounding healthy tissue and minimizing this drawback is an important consideration in using RF ablation.
In that regard, other uses for RF heating include heating muscles or joints to decrease inflammation and increase blood flow, pain management, as well as certain sleeping disorders. RF ablation may also be used in the heart to destroy abnormal tissue or pathways that cause electrical activity of the heart to speed up or slow down. In these uses, as for the case of tumor treatment, minimizing or limiting the impact of heating on healthy surrounding tissue is desirable.